Ravens in Queens are Feeding Young

It has been well over a month since I reported the ravens’ nest in Queens on 10,000 Birds, the first ravens nest reported in the history of New York City. It is about time for an update, and it is a heck of an update! The ravens have been spotted feeding nestlings by several observers, including yours truly! Assuming all goes well it is only a matter of time before the nestlings become fledglings. Speaking of nestlings becoming fledglings, at the last meeting of the New York City Butterfly Club (the club at which you will remember is where I got the information that ravens were nesting in Queens) I learned that not only had the ravens nested last year but they had actually fledged two young. It is amazing how much birders can miss, especially in as birder-dense (dense birders?) a place as New York City.

Anyway, Francois, Danny, and I visited the ravens on Saturday morning and not only were we lucky enough to witness three different nest exchanges but we also got to watch one of the two parents (one really can’t tell which is male and which is female) foraging in the gutters of a couple buildings surrounding the nest.

Not only that, but we talked to some of the kids in the area who approached us asking if we were there to see the ravens. They were quite knowledgeable as to where the birds forage, at least in the immediate area, and were very proud of their neighborhood birds. We gave scope and binocular looks and explained what a treat nesting ravens are in New York City, and how they should keep an eye out for when the young fledge in case they end up in the road. The kids promised to keep cars away if such a thing happened.

Let’s hope the young fledge successfully and survive to make their own nests, perhaps colonizing Brooklyn. It would be weird to see ravens in skinny pants and thick-rimmed glasses though…

Corey is a New Yorker who lived most of his life in upstate New York but has lived in Queens since 2008. He's only been birding since 2005 but has garnered a respectable life list by birding whenever he wasn't working as a union representative or spending time with his family. He lives in Forest Hills with Daisy, their son, Desmond Shearwater, and their indoor cat, B.B. His bird photographs have appeared on the Today Show, in Birding, Living Bird Magazine, Bird Watcher's Digest, and many other fine publications. He is also the author of the American Birding Association Field Guide to the Birds of New York.

Good news. I went by there late yesterday morning and whichever Raven was on the nest was very low down, barely visible, and I was concerned because there was no sign of fledgling life. I guess the babies didn’t like the rain.

Every time I visit, I am questioned about the nest by the Ravens’ neighbors, and also about all the strange people coming to see it. I get the impression they are a little intimidated by the tall birders with the tall scopes!

THIS IS THE SECOND YEAR THE RAVENS HAVE NESTED IN THE WATER TOWER DOWN THE BLOCK FROM ME. THESE ARE AMAZING BIRDS AND NOISY AT TIMES BUT THIS YEAR THEY SEEM TO HAVE QUITED DOWN A BIT BUT ARE STILL BUSY NESTING. THE NEST IS LOCATED ON THE FORTH CROSSMEMBER APPROX 60 FEET UP ON THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE TOWER A GOOD VIEW IS AVAILABLE FROM THE WEST SIDE ON 126 STREET. HOPE THEY REMAIN AND COME BACK FOR MANY YEARS TO COME.